Posts Tagged ‘planting herbs in pots’

I use fresh herbs in recipes all year long.  I have even gone out in the middle of Winter to dig through the snow for thyme or parsley.  I have a small herb garden right near my kitchen, where I grow all the herbs I love to cook with.

This year for Mother’s Day, we gave my Mom herbs for a pot to put on her patio.  Her yard is smaller than mine, and her space is limited.  But luckily, it is so easy to grow most herbs in a pot.  My Mom loves to cook with fresh basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, and Italian parsley.

Since herbs need good drainage, I place pieces of old broken terracotta pots (I never throw the broken pieces away) at the bottom of the pot.  Then I fill the pot with good potting soil to a few inches below the brim of the pot.  I gently pull the roots of the plants apart a bit before planting them.  Arrange the herbs in the pot and fill the rest in with potting soil.  Because they are herbs and not flowers, I don’t overload the pot.  Water them in well.  The herb plants cost $2.50 each.  But buying fresh herbs at the store is very expensive.  This pot of herbs will really help my Mom to “Make it Do.”

One of my favorite ways to preserve herbs for the Winter months is to freeze them in ice cube trays.  I gather my fresh herbs in the morning.  Wash them and then chop them up.  Place one teaspoon into each cup of an ice cube tray.  Fill the cup with water (leaving a bit of room for expansion) and freeze.  When they are frozen solid, place the herb ice cubes in a labeled freezer bag.  Whenever you need fresh herbs, take out the amount needed.  Let it thaw in a bowl and then drain the water.  If it is going into a sauce or soup, I just throw the frozen cubes right in.  I also dry some of my herbs, another great way to Make it Do.